New To Linux

[pixiestix1103]

My plan is to at first do a partition of Windows XP and Mandrake Linux until I get good and ready to fully switch. I didnt know exactly what info you wanted but I hope this is it:

 

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

System Manufacturer Dell Computer Corporation

System Model Dimension 2400

Total Physical Memory 256.00 MB

Available Physical Memory 59.62 MB

Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB

Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB

 

CDROM: HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8483B

DISK DRIVES: MAXTOR 2F040L0

DISPLAY ADAPTORS: INTEL 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV GRAPHICS CONTROLLER

IDE ATA/ATAPI CONTROLLERS: INTEL 82801DB ULTRA ATA STORAGE

CONTROLLER

PROCESSORS:INTEL CELERON CPU 2.40GHz

 

If you specifically ask for something else, I am sure that I can find it... Thanks...

[aRTee]

I think that your system may have one of those BIOS/graphics issues where you don't easily get graphics going - unless you know what to do.

 

No need to panic, it will work, and it's good that you wrote down your system description.

 

Please read this info:

http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.html

 

Just download the files for your system/graphics, and make sure you know where you put them (linux will be able to read the windows drive/filesystems), you may have to do some command line stuff to get your graphics going.

 

I have installed 10.1 OE on 2 dell machines with affected graphics, but one of those had had a new bios (before with 10.0 it did have this problem) and all was fine. The other needed the 865patch, which was easy since I knew.

 

If you run into this problem (a first hint is if your installer is not nicely graphical - see screenshots of the graphical installer on my website www.mandrake.tips.4.free.fr ) just relax and try to follow instructions from that website with the patch, and if you need help, ask here.

[arctic]

i think that this kind of box will work with mandrake, as long as you do not try to switch to 3d mode.. but one final hint: before you start installing mandrake or any other linux-system on your box, download a live-cd like knoppix/gnoppix/kanotix and play around with it. you will have a complete linux-distro that runs entirely from cd (does not need any harddisk unless you want to save some files, but that can be arranged easily :)) and it won't ruin your current system (unless you are an advanced user and know how to achieve this :P). with live-cds, you will also find out if your system is fully linux-compatible (most are).

 

once you have an idea of what it is like to use linux, continue to explore the cd and those dozens of apps that are there. and once you say "wow, that one is cool " or "i like it. stable and usable working environment", you should start downloading a complete beginners-distro, like mandrake (my recommendation), suse or fedora. we will gladly help you with the following procedures.

 

good luck and have fun :)

Edited November 8, 2004 by arctic

[pixiestix1103]

Thanks so much... I would not have known what to do. You guys on the board are so nice and helpful, you should see some of the other websites that I have been to that are supposed to be really good, that really dont help you at all. So, as far as these patches go, yep, I am prolly gonna need some help with it when the time comes... prolly sometime next week. Pretty complicated stuff :). Should I go ahead and download to XP or will I wait till I install linux? And which one specifically do I need? All of them? I read the iinformation from the link, but like I said, I am not really more than a novice... on windows, I am pretty talented, but I have never worked with anything complicated. I am learning to program a little, but still, this is my first year of college, and haven't made it there yet... :) Thank you again, everyone is so nice, and such a big help.

[aRTee]

arctic, I have hands on experience with 4 such Dell machines, and there are no graphics, not even frame buffer, until you use the patch/wrapper.

(As in: text installer.)

 

You could give knoppix or mandrake move a try, but like I said, the machine will work after the fiddling it may need. So just go ahead and do it.

(Make sure you have a backup of anything remotely important.)

 

What file it exactly needs depends on the graphics, so check in the control panel what graphics you have.

 

And yes, you can download the patch for your graphics to the windows drive.

 

Lastly: this is the best board for novices - I've seen lots of boards where people aren't nice to newbies, and some boards where people are nice but have no clue themselves either.

This board has lots of nice people who have experience.

[arctic]

arctic, I have hands on experience with 4 such Dell machines, and there are no graphics, not even frame buffer, until you use the patch/wrapper.

(As in: text installer.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[durvish]

Not to be to much of a geek here but have the fun is getting Linux to work. And just by working out any little bugs you come across you will be learning tha Linux enviroment at an accelerated pace while having fun!

 

Jeez I'm such a geek :o

[ChrisM]

for what its worth, it might be worthwhile to set your system up with 2 users - that way you can experiment and still have a working desktop to do your college work assignemnts.

 

I'm a newbie too, and for the past 6 months have been visiting this site very regularly - its very friendly and very helpful. Before using linux, I wasn't even that versed beyond doing the odd windows instalation and fitting PCI cards. But I was totally fed up with the constant system crashes and security threats etc I moved away - and I have not looked back since. And since installing Mandrake my condfidence and ability has rocketed. Yes there will likely be times that you face issues where you'll be pulling your hair out - often hardware related - but overall I'd say I've been able to overcome 95% plus issues that I've faced, largely through the help on/from this BB. But it's all relative I guess - it depends on what you've got and what you want to do with it.

 

Also, I jumped in at the deep end. Fed up and exhausted with my M$ experience I just wiped out Windows and installed Mandrake 9.2 - no dual boot - I forced myself into a situation - but honestly, it was nothing to worry about. I have a good friend who is a Windows nerd, and he thought I'd be back to Windows, he thought that me installing Linux was all bravado - but I'm now on my third installed version (9.2/10/10.1). Because of inexperience, I've done a number of reinstalls - but it's really not difficult , and had I the patience, confidence and time, I probably wouldn't have needed to most of the time. Again, its a learning thing (but no matter what you use, you should still always back up your data).

 

I could have gone back to M$ anytime - the discs are now taking up valuable space in the junk box, collecting dust. I've stuck it out with Mandrake because it allows me to do what I want, and everything else is a learning curve. No bad thing there. And its such a relief not to be facing those constant crashes and have those regular virus worries.

 

I have a couple of comfort blankets in the way of reading material - consider checking out

 

this

 

this

 

and

 

this

 

None of them are teccy teccy, heavy going, and are aimed at newbies. They do come in useful and can help explain some of the concepts etc. I really should sit down and read them through properly myself one day!

 

But, most of all, this site rocks, as does aRTee's.

 

 

Good luck.

[pixiestix1103]

Thank you so much for the reading suggestions... I know you prolly dont believe me, but I will end up buying all of them and reading them cover to cover. I am not a techie, by any means, but I love computers, and I love reading books that will show me how to do different things. Right now, I am reading books on terminal emulation and protecting network security, and I learn something new everyday. I have windows xp as you have prolly read and I have about run out of things to do with that. I am fed up with M$ period, and having to virus proof everything is driving me crazy. It is unbelievable the amount of work that I have put into that computer, and I just bought it about 10 months ago... again, thank you so much for the advice... I really appreciate it.

[ChrisM]

I should have mentioned that the Sams learn in 24hrs I bought is third edition (published in 2000) and comes with Mandrake disc (but its real old -7.1 :P )but the book is aimed at Mandrake rathe than RH etc and content of the book - commands, networks, file systems - the basics, so it will be Ok - try and buy it from a second hand/cheap bookshop (near where I live it is still being sold at full price in the major bookshops!!) not sure if a newer version has been published.

Edited November 11, 2004 by ChrisM

[Bam]

@ pixiestix1103...Have you installed Linux yet? If so, how did it go? If not....What are you waiting for? B)

[Sarissi]

Bam, if she is anything like I was before the first install attempt, she is trying to work up enough courage to have a go at it. :D

 

One thing I do strongly recommend, no matter what distro, is to get a second HDD and Partition Commander/System Commander Personal Edition. Then you simply install the Linux Bootloader into the first sector of the root partition (/boot), and let Partition Commander load it OR the XP boot loader (or any other). This way you have no worries about lilo/grub messing up the MBR or having to rescue linux and/or XP.

 

Pixiestix1103, You need to get used to a different way of doing things: The UNIX/BSD/Linux way. Even though Linux is NOT UNIX, it is classed as a Unix Variant.

 

Linux began as a clean room replication of Unix functionality. However, it has improved so much, that it has surpassed Unix in many ways, and has been replacing Unix on Mainframes.

 

Using a Live CD (distro runs off CD) is a great way to get your feet wet, and check your hardware for any issues (printer, scanner, camera, video, etc.).

[aRTee]

Sarissi, I second that though on the second HDD (pun semi intended), but I don't really see the point of using Partition Commander/System Commander Personal Edition.

 

First, it is proprietary software. Which should be non-preferred and avoided if easily possible...

Second, it costs, unless you recommend illegal use of software. Which is one of the points of Linux/GNU/FLOSS: no more illegal software.

Third, with a standard linux distro, you can do all you want in terms of booting various systems, and dual booting Lin/Win is the default setup when installing on a system with windows.

 

With a new and empty second harddisk, you can do a nice and easy installation of Mandrakelinux (any other should also be possible), and if you choose to put the bootloader onto a floppy by selecting /dev/fd0 as a location to put it (at the installation - bootloader step, see also my installation page), your first/primary harddrive doesn't even get touched AT ALL during the installation. No changes to the partition table, master boot record or whatever.

If you'd take out the floppy and the second harddrive, your system will be exactly as it was before.

 

BTW that's actually how I installed my linux machine at work, so if IT ever wants to check the machine or whatever, I can just take out the bootfloppy and hey presto, good as new, completely (IT-)standard pc... :D

 

All that said, it's also easy to install on the same drive; having 2 drives just has some advantages, like for making backups. I have never lost data due to a Linux issue, but I have due to a failing harddrive - statistically about 1 in 50 fails within 3 years. IBM's DTLA series had 1 in 10 failing within 18 months (and yes, I have one of those, still running, always running, for almost 3 years.. if I ever turn it off I don't expect to be able to turn it on again...).

[pixiestix1103]

"BTW that's actually how I installed my linux machine at work, so if IT ever wants to check the machine or whatever, I can just take out the bootfloppy and hey presto, good as new, completely (IT-)standard pc... "

 

***Oh my gosh! you are so crazy... very, very cool though aRTee! ***

Anyways, don't worry guys, i haven't changed my mind or anything, and as far as courage goes, i have that covered too. if you wanna know, i have just been reading posts on this website lately - "getting my feet wet" i guess you could say, just in case. not really because i am worried, just because i don't understand most of the terminology yet, and it would be hard for me to ask any more questions not knowing how to say it. for instance, some of the posts on this website go SO over my head, but i will go and look it up so that i know what the people are talking about. i have noticed that the people here are extremely intelligent, and it sure does help out people like me, but i am not the type of person that will sit there and let someone do all the work. I wanna know what i am doing, and why, so that later on, i can help out someone like me. i am learning a lot- thanks to the people in the forums. I doubt that i will have a hard time, but if i do, i really want to be prepared. i am very excited about making the transition, but i am being very patient... it will happen soon though.

 

speaking of learning something new, anyone want to tell me what a "second HDD and Partition Commander/System Commander Personal Edition" is? i am thinking a second hardrive and something that helps do the partitioning of the 2 hardrives, but i thought that i wouldn't need anything like that because i can somehow do it myself. i am hoping that the manual explains everything, because i think without it, i will have throw my computer out the window! i am just a normal kid (19yrs.), i can't be learning to put my computer back together just yet, i just bought it!

[pixiestix1103]

"....statistically about 1 in 50 fails within 3 years. IBM's DTLA series had 1 in 10 failing within 18 months (and yes, I have one of those, still running, always running, for almost 3 years.. if I ever turn it off I don't expect to be able to turn it on again...). "

 

ok, i was just wondering something aRTee... i dont have an IBM, i have a dell, but i rarely ever turn my computer off. i work for a BIG health insurance company in the US, and our IT department tells us to NEVER shut our computers off. to get to the point, i dont shut the one i have at home off either cause from what i understand, it gives my computer a better change to aquire viruses. i dont know if this is true, but this is "my" first computer, and i thought that that was what i was supposed to do. if you can tell me different, that would be great, cause i never understand why i would need to keep my computer turned on and running at all times. i would hate to one day have to restart for something, and then realize that i am never going to be able to turn it back on. i guess this is a crazy question, but it caught my eye... do you always keep yours running?